Up In Flames
by rocket-queen98
Summary: Damon has moved on from Elena and gives her some home truths after his fling with Rebekah. Then finally believing that he deserves better, he sets his sights on the blonde original who is like him in more ways than one. Damon/Rebekah
1. Chapter One

****"Damon! How could you sleep with her? She is not on our side! She is the enemy, what the hell were you thinking?"****

Elena stepped closer to the elder Salvatore, a confused look on her face as she tried to process what she had just saw walking out the door of the boarding house. She didn't understand; one minute Damon was telling her that he loved her, then the next, he was bedding the next girl that crosses his path, which so happened to be one of their enemies.

"Elena, if you're asking _how_, then you should really pay attention in your sex ed classes. You're old enough to know the basics. There was no thinking about it, Original Barbie is hot."

He let out a chuckle as Elena scrunched up her nose before she cut him off.

"You're disgusting. Did you do this to get back at me, is that what this is?"

"If it is, you really have to let it go." Elena added as she stood in front of him. Damon looked at her and it wasn't a look of love and devotion like it normally was, it was full of irritation and tiredness.

"Oh, I'm already over it. I'm also finished."Damon replied after he downed his drink and slammed the glass down on the table.

He was done with her, with everything. For the past few months Damon had put his life on the line for her. He had done everything she asked of him and put his feelings aside for her to be her friend, just happy at being close to her. But she only wanted Stefan and the night before had been a wake up call for Damon. She entertained his love for her when she wanted something then tossed him aside when she got what she wanted. His feelings for Elena were gone, he had finally realized that he deserved better, he deserved some respect.

"Finished with what?" Elena asked him, putting a hand on his shoulder, only to have him shove her away.

Something had changed inside him over night and it was confusing her, she didn't like this Damon, he wouldn't listen to what she had to say. The look of anger was gone, and she had replaced it with worry with some pity, something that he hated. He was not a charity case, he was not a pet either.

"Damon, I never meant what I said last night. Please, Damon. I asked Stefan to help me b-"

"Shut up! You are trying to turn me into Stefan. Newsflash, I am _not_ him, I am a vampire, do I have to spell it out for you? I have control over my urges unlike him, Elena. You are just hanging onto me because I am something that you have left of him!"

Damon walked her back into the wall behind her and trapped her there, his fangs coming into view as his angry rant continued.

"I can sleep or date whoever I want to. What I do in my personal life has nothing to do with you. The only reason you are keeping me around is because I comfort you and make you imagine that it's him."

Elena looked at him with tears in her eyes and he rolled his eyes again."You lead me on and when I won't help you with your suicidal-plans you turn to Stefan. You are using both of us just like Katherine did, at least she was honest with it. So I am finished with you. You have no say who I have in my bed, even if it is Rebekah. Unlike you, she doesn't jump between the two of us, needing constant protection like some small helpless child."

With those last words, the elder Salvatore flashed away from her, out the front door. Damon stood outside and leaned against the wall, he was finally ready to move on and Rebekah was the person to move on to. He didn't know what it was but he felt something between them the night before. She had the smoothest skin and her pouty lips were irresistible and the way her legs felt like a vice around him drove him crazy. She was the same as him, always second best and never really noticed.

With that thought in mind, Damon hopped into his car and drove to the Mikaelson mansion Rebekah told him where to find her if he needed anything. Right now, he needed her more than ever before. Around twenty minutes later, Damon turned up to the address and his senses told him she was the only one there. After stepping out of his car, Damon made his way over to the house, breaking the lock with ease. He stepped in and looked around, it looked like a normal family home, way bigger than the boarding house.

He felt something in the room with him, and it wasn't a threat. He looked around, blue eyes narrowing when something purposefully bumped into him. He turned in a small circle, a smirk on his face when the scent of a certain blonde vampire hit his senses.

"C'mon barbie, is that any way to treat the guy who gave you the best se-"

Suddenly he was pinned against the wall, a hand wrapped around his throat. Rebekah was in front of him, a tired look on his face, but he could see the smile in her eyes.

"Well...this was how you treated me not twenty four hours ago."

Ignoring him, Rebekah crossed her arms over her chest."Really? Breaking an entering? A new low, Damon."

His hands roamed over her, she was wearing tight black jeans with a low cut purple top. He couldn't deny, she was beautiful, it was a shame that he was going to rip it off in the next few moments.

"I was bored. Women know how to piss me off these days."

Damon sent her his signature smirk before smashing his lips to hers, not giving her a chance to protest. He walked her back into the nearest wall, but was shoved away seconds later. He frowned at her, that wasn't how it was supposed to go. By now, they should have been undressed on the way to repeat what had happened more than three times the night before. She arched an eyebrow, her cheeks a little flushed, meaning that he had won a few points.

"What do you think your doing?"She asked him, a warning look flashing in her eyes.

"Right now? I want to do you, Rebekah."

It was lame...but he didn't care.

Ignoring her warnings he kissed her again, his hands gripping her ass and pulling her close to him, right now he needed and wanted her. She consumed him, she made Damon second guess but kept him lusting after her. Then his hands tangled in her hair, tugging her head back so that he could get a better angle of kissing her. The thick, blonde strands ran through his fingers, tongue sweeping across her full bottom lip, and they soon parted, inviting him to play. The hands that had been trying to shove him off tore off his shirt, buttons bouncing off the tile floor because of the impact.

"...keep doing that i'll have none left."

She bit on his lip, smiling against him."Then stop wearing them."

Seconds later they were in a bedroom and by the look of all the clothes and shoes it was hers. He didn't get a minute to observe it properly because a moment later he was on the bed and she was straddling him. Ripping the rest of his shirt off she ran her nails down his chest, leaving red marks on the way, Damon growled in pleasure at this, it had been a long time since a woman had dominated him, and he had missed it.

* * *

><p><strong>4 Days Later<strong>

Damon ignored the fifth call from Elena that day, throwing it on the chair beside him as he drowned his drink. Who the hell did she think she was? Thinking that one phone call, crocodile tears and a 'please,Damon' would make it all better like it used to? No, he was finished with women like that, he'd moved on, to Rebekah. Elena would not accept his true self, she wanted him to be a second Stefan and only needed him to protect her. She was only happy when he was at her beck and call. But the most important thing was that he was done going around in a circle, fighting over a girl that would never love him, getting his heart broken and losing his brother.

Rebekah was the same as him, they understood one another. Damon stood up and walked over to, what he assumed, to be Klaus' bar and poured himself another drink."I'll have one too."

The silky, British voice from beside him made his then he turned and smirked at the blonde. He nodded and took another glass from the side and poured her a drink.

"So you're finally awake?"

It felt nice to have someone to wake up to. Damon normally threw girls out when he was finished with them, but this was different...Rebekah was different. He couldn't describe what it was about her that drew him in, but he knew that he would figure it out eventually.

"Half the reason I slept so long was because of you." She took the drink and sat down, him following her, with a full bottle of whisky and a glass in his left hand.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Damon grinned and sat down next to her, his hand cupping her cheek. They stared at each other for the next few moments before he leaned down and pressed a harsh but tender kiss to her mouth.

"Take it any way you want, I'm bored, what do you want to do?" Rebekah asked him as she finished her drink and placed the glass on the table beside her.

Damon grabbed their glasses and poured them two more drinks, handing the glass to the blonde. She smirked and took a large sip, happy that her brothers were away for the next few days. They were searching for a witch that could make sure that Esther was truly gone. Klaus would have killed Damon for touching her and his alcohol, some of it was older than the Salvatore himself.

"Drink until we can't think?" He winked at her.

"Seriously? That's cheesy."

Damon snapped his fingers when something popped into his mind,"I hate Elena Gilbert drinking fest?"

"Kinda long name but i'm in."

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hours Later<strong>

Damon spun Rebekah around with his hand and smiled when she almost fell over. They had gone through three or four bottles of whisky, he couldn't remember and he didn't care. The music was blasting through the speakers as they danced to the beat. He pulled her to him so that her back was against his chest, and she locked her hands together around his neck as they danced wildly to the music. He couldn't deny, Klaus or Kol, which ever one of them, had awesome taste in music, no matter how old they were.

__When you came in the air went out,__

__and every shadow filled up without a doubt.__

She danced along with him, rocking her hips and making sure she was pressed hard against him, hitting him in all the right places. Damon smirked again and danced along with her, his hands running up and down her body, fingertips moving slowly along her soft skin, causing her to release gasp that was covered by the music. Rebekah's eyes fell shut as his hands slid underneath the shirt that she was wearing and ignored the area she desperately needed him to touch but instead ran patterns along her flat stomach. His hand left her stomach and his finger tips danced along her thigh. She wanted him, he could feel it...he could almost taste it.

__I don't know who you think you are,__

__but before the night is through,__

__I wanna do bad things with you__

His forehead fell onto her shoulder, eyes shutting as her fingers combed through his dark hair, tugging at the silky dark strands. His lips found the smooth skin of her neck, marking her as his with his lips. Damon then spun her around in his arms, his temple resting against hers, hands settling at her waist. Her own rested on his shoulders, still toying with his hair.

"What have you done to me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Elena's <strong>**H****ouse**

"Can you believe him?"

Elena sighed again as she paced her floor,Bonnie and Caroline sat on her bed looking bored. She had been cursing Damon and Rebekah's name for almost an hour now. It was starting to become annoying. Bonnie and Caroline weren't Damon's best of friends but Elena had no right to butt in on his private life, she had no claim on him. She would call him cruel and unstable, which they agreed to, he could be like that. But then the next second, she wanted him back, she wanted his love again.

"Elena, why are you so pissed? I don't know what you're so upset about."Caroline finally said and Bonnie nodded in agreement.

Elena stopped and stared at them."What? You're defending him now? Its his fault. For the past year and a half he has said he loves me and would never do anything to hurt me. Now look at what he has done!"

Then and there, Bonnie lost it. She stood up and walked over to Elena, a mad look on her face.

"Damon has moved on so deal with it, that way he won't bother us all any more. I don't understand why you are so upset, I thought you loved Stefan. Plus, if he's interested in someone else, you and Stefan won't have and problems getting back together, right?"

"Bonnie, I d-"

Before Elena could say anything she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Elena looked at Caroline for some support.

"She's right Elena. Now that maybe Damon is distracted, you and Stefan can work our your issues. It's a win/win, right?"

"You hate him,"

"He's a dick and that is why I don't see what your problem is. Stefan is your epic love, and now that Damon is out of the picture you can get back with Stefan. Elena, I love you but you have to figure out what you want before you lose people who care about you."

Caroline grabbed her bag and left the room. Elena stood there, shocked at what her best friends had said. She slumped onto the bed, a broken look on her face, wallowing in her own self pity.


	2. Chapter Two

**Two Weeks Later**

* * *

><p><strong>"I'm at the Grill, Damon...yeah, i'll wait."<strong>

Rebekah said goodbye to the younger vampire, pocketing the mobile in her leather jacket before stepping out of her car. Sauntering into the Grill the blonde made a quick path for the bar, smiling brightly at her high school friend as she sat down. Finishing with another customer, Matt made his way over to Rebekah and began to dry the newly washed glasses. She really did respect Matt and had a liking for him. Even though Kol had almost crushed his hand on the night of the ball, it did seem that he had slightly forgiven her over time. She knew that he wasn't fond of what she was, but had an open mind, he had to if he was going to keep living in Mystic Falls.

"Hey, Rebekah."

She smiled once again."Hi, Matt."

"What's your poison?" Matt asked her, throwing the dish-towel over his shoulder as waited for her answer.

Resting her chin in her hand, Rebekah began to observe her newly manicured nails as she thought about what she wanted. She looked around and watched as people began packing up and leaving the bar. It was close to closing time but she desperately needed a drink. Her brother was nagging her about her and Damon, he was being all protective for some reason and normally it would work but after a thousand years of dealing with Klaus, Rebekah had began to learn that it was silly to try and get involved. She adored her brother more than life itself, but there was only so much she could take with him and including a newly undaggered Kol asking her about what the new century was like. Adding Damon into the mix, it was like living with a bunch of children.

"Bourbon, please."

She had slipped out as Damon and Klaus started to get psychical over about the trashed bar and the bottles that she and Damon had wrecked a few weeks before. he blonde knew her brother was picking fights over something he cared little about, but Klaus was never one to back down and she knew Damon was doing it just to annoy the hybrid. She didn't even want to be apart of it, it was giving her a headache. She thanked Matt when he put her drink down in front of her, the teenager frowning when he saw a familiar face walk into the Grill. He knew that there was a large possibility of there being trouble.

"I thought that I would find you here." A voice came from beside her.

Rebekah turned around and came face to face with Elena, who was sitting on the stool next to her. The brunette looked angry, and the Original sighed in tiredness. She didn't want to deal with Elena right now, the girl was the last thing she needed.

"What do you want?" Elena glared at her and ordered a diet coke. Matt eyed them suspiciously but obeyed her, he didn't want to clean up blood before his shift ended.

"I want you to stay away from, Damon. He's not in the right state of mind, that's why he's with you in the first place."

Rebekah chuckled and downed her drink."He sleeps with me and is instantly in a bad place? There is nothing wrong with him, you're just jealous." Rebekah stated and paid for her drink.

"I am not-"

"Just leave him alone, Elena. He's not your pet dog, he's not going to jump when you say how high." Elena opened her mouth, and was for the first time in her life, speechless.

Standing up, Rebekah grabbed her coat and made a move for the door but suddenly found herself on the ground. She let out a moan as she felt a piercing pain in her stomach. Looking down, she saw a stake sticking out of her and Elena with, what she assumed to be an attempt of an intimidating look on her face. The brunette leaned down and grabbed the stake, then took it out. Raising her arm, Elena stabbed the stake back into the same wound again, making sure to twist it around so that it would increase the damage, like Alaric had taught her. She had been trying to contact Damon, who had been ignoring her, and Elena assumed that Rebekah was the cause of that. Before the blonde had come into town, she and Damon had been fine.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you? You're okay with breaking his heart over and over again but the minute he gets sick of you and moves on, you somehow want him? Isn't one brother crawling after you enough for you?"

Just as the younger girl was about to plunge the wood back into her, Rebekah saw someone grab Elena and throw her across the room. She fell to the ground and Rebekah did the same, trying to calm down her anger, all she wanted was to snap the doppelgängers neck but knew that Klaus would be mad. Not wanting to spend another ninety years in a box, Rebekah had held off attacking the brunette that night. Opening her eyes, she was met with a pair of worried baby blue ones, it was Damon.

"You okay?" He asked her and she could only give a nod before replying.

"I'm a thousand years old, Damon, i'm just annoyed, this is a new shirt!"

Chuckling, Damon helped her up and told Matt to get her another drink. Matt nodded and glared at Elena before he moved around the bar again, this time he poured the Bourbon into a larger glass. Damon moved over to a booth and lay her down on it, which shocked her, he knew that she wasn't hurt but was still fussing over her like she was a newborn vampire. It felt nice to have someone worrying about her for once.

Rebekah watched him as he turned his head over to Elena who was holding onto the bar as she stood herself up,"You're defending her?" Elena hissed at him.

"Someone has to, Elena. This is an _Original_. Klaus' gonna be pissed and he's going to take it out on me! You're acting like a child. "

She took a step back, looking as if Damon had struck her."You can't say that to _me_. When Stefan finds out about this, h-"

Damon let out a growl and before Rebekah could stop him he ran over to Elena and pinned her by the throat against the wall. Rebekah was shocked, she had thought that Damon would protect the doppelganger over her. She smiled softly, if he was willing to choke Elena, then he really did care about her. The young girl gasped, her eyes wide, trying to pull Damon's hands off of her, but it was like he was made of stone. She glanced over at Matt, silently begging him to do something, but he looked away, not wanting to be on the receiving end of the elder Salvatore's wrath.

Elena watched in fear as Damon's fangs came forward and he looked like he was going to rip her apart. How could he love that blonde more than her? Damon protected her not Rebekah, this wasn't right. Something had happened to Damon to make him act this way. Elena was the one who Damon chose, not Katherine, not Rose and definitely not their enemy.

Damon leaned closer to her, growling deeply."Stay _away_ from her. You have no control over what I do with my life. If you come near me or her again, I will not be so gentle next to time. I will not warn you again."

He slammed her harder against the wall and Elena let out a groan of pain. He let her slide to the floor before he turned and went back to Rebekah, who had just finished her Matt, Damon picked Rebekah up and whispered into her ear as he carried her out of the door. Matt helped Elena up and handed her a fresh glass of water.

"What the hell were you thinking? She's an _Original_, Elena. Do you know what her family could do to us if they find out?" He said and took the glass when she was done with it. Elena was just about to reply but he waved a hand and went back to wiping the bar.

* * *

><p><strong>Mikaelson Mansion<strong>

"I'm fine, she barely scratched me. Can you please put me down? I'm not a child, Damon." Rebekah sighed and moaned when he tossed her onto her bed, making the Original roll her blue orbs at him.

"Yeah, but i'm still a perfect gentleman. Besides, at your age, you might break a hip."

"I'll break something of yours in a minute if you keep on insulting me."

The dark haired vampire smirked when she gave him a piercing look. He went to Rebekah's wardrobe and began to search through it for another shirt for her to wear to bed. After a full five minutes of showing her tops that she didn't like, the blonde finally picked one that she thought went with her bed shorts. Trying to cheer her up, Damon gasped, blue eyes widening.

"Really? Dark purple with them pajama shorts?" Damon mocked in his best imitation of a high school girl.

"I may have just been staked, but I can still kick your arse."

Damon chuckled and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. He sighed in irritation as her bloody top refused to be parted with her. He spent all but a minute on trying to take it off gently, but soon he lost his patience and finally tore it off with ease. He smirked, enjoying the view while Rebekah gasped, her eyes telling him that he was buying her a new one as he began to wipe the blood away from her now fully healed wound.

"What do you think Klaus will do? He did see me carrying his bloody sister through the door."

"You never know with my brother. One second he cares if i'm here and the next he's choosing making hybrids over me. He's upset, but that never stops him picking the blood of the doppelgänger over his family."

Damon looked up, now sitting on the bed, cleaning the blood around her now healed would. It had dried into her skin, and he knew that she would be pissed if the blood wrecked another one of tops. He saw the vulnerable look in her eyes. She did want her brother to care for her like he cared for his hybrids, but she didn't like to show it. He understood, he was the same with his own brother but the Original family seemed more damaged than his one. Rebekah got comfy as he looked at her, confused slightly, thinking that Klaus would get revenge on Elena for going after his family.

"How can you be sure he'd pick her blood over you? She did go all psycho on you."

Rebekah looked down up him with a sad smile."He's done it before, he'll do it again, i don't expect much now. My brother does love his family, in his own way, I know he does. But a thousand years of thirst for power has taken over him."

Damon returned her smile, tossing the wipes into the trash-can next to her. He pulled down her clean shirt over her now invisible wound after pressing a kiss there. She glanced up at him as he stood up, mouthing a thank you. He grasped her chin in his fingers and brought her mouth to his. He kissed her tenderly, but as soon as her tongue swept across his lower lip, it soon turned into a fight for dominance. Rebekah pulled away a few moments later and crawled into her bed, smiling like a normal teenage girl that had just gotten her first kiss from her crush. She couldn't help it, even though she still wasn't sure that he was serious about her, Rebekah couldn't help the feelings that were building on her part. She'd always been one to fall in love fast, but wasn't expecting much from Damon, so she kept her feelings to herself, and told herself to enjoy him while she had him.

"Wake me up when a certain doppleganger has gotten her karma."

Damon shrugged, starting on his own black t-shirt."With all her do-gooding protectors, you'll be waiting a while."

"One of the perks of having an eternity to live."

After undressing to his boxers, he got into the bed next to her, his hand rubbing her shoulder when she turned onto her side. Her light blue eyes met his own, and a smile appeared on her face as his fingers ran through her long blonde locks. His touch was comforting, and even though she was one of the most powerful creatures on the earth and had over eight hundred years on him she felt weirdly protected by Damon. Rebekah yawned and curled into him after he pulled her into his embrace, pressing a kiss to her forehead. His fingers stroked her hair, smiling as she let out a low hum, and he made a mental note to remember that she liked that.

He continued to toy with her long strands until she fell asleep, assured that he wasn't leaving. He bit his lip, he hadn't expected to go after Elena like he had that day, but she had no right to go near Rebekah after what she had done to him. She reminded him of a small child who had lost a toy that she had dropped a while ago but hated anyone else going near it. As Damon kept on thinking about how his feelings for the brunette had changed, he felt another presence in the room, and his head raised when a gush of wind his him full force. He looked up to see two Originals in Rebekah's bedroom, looking at Damon with anger and revenge in their eyes, ready to attack.

"Give me a reason not to tear your tongue out, mate. How do I know that you weren't apart of the attack?"

Damon unwillingly gulped when Klaus' eyes flashed amber, remembering what his fangs could do to him."I told you what happened earlier after you almost tore off my arm on the stairs. If I was apart of it, do you really think I would be stupid enough to be here?"

"I wouldn't rule it out, darling, you're not known for having the brains in your family."

"I wouldn't hurt your sister," Damon started, glancing at the sleeping blonde next to him.

"...not now. If you want, i'll tell you everything I know, what their plans are, hell, i'll even join you on your revenge rampage. I'm sick of fighting with you lot, it always ends up with me being close to death, and it's beginning to be a pattern now. Besides, don't you two have better things to worry about than me? She's your _sister_, Klaus...i thought you lot had a rule on outsiders trying to kill your siblings, even if you are hell bent on making an army."

Kol and Klaus looked at one another, grins appearing on their faces before they eyed Damon. The hybrid's blue eyes drifted over his sister, the one person who had been there for him through thick and thin. He swallowed when her blood hit his nose and his gaze trailed to the floor, where her bloody shirt lay. Though she couldn't die from a simple wound, it still made his heart drop into his stomach at the picture of Elena staking his sister, thinking that she had the right. Kol saw it too, and he let out a growl.

He younger Original whispered to Klaus."Are we really going to let that pathetic excuse for a human life get away with this, brother? It's bad enough that she teamed up with our mother who attempted to kill us, now she's running after our sister. What does she have to do in order for y-"

"Kol?"

Klaus turned to his brother, who was sending daggers to Damon, silently telling him that if he was lying, he'd rip him apart. His fingers itched to rip Elena's eyes out, to turn her inside out. Klaus snarled, making Kol look at him and question filled his eyes. Damon's eyes drifted between the two brothers, and he hoped, for Rebekah's sake that they wouldn't let what happened go. He knew what it felt like to feel invisible, and she had been feeling that with her brothers lately.

"How rusty are you on your torture techniques?"

Kol tilted his head and sent his brother a cruel smile. He was known for enjoying playing with his prey. He liked to draw out his torture on them, before he went in for the kill. It made it more satisfying, like a fine dessert. Sometimes it was a burden on the other siblings, but there were times where they came in handy, especially if Klaus couldn't get the information he wanted. He was impulsive, and quick to make angry, whereas Kol had a gift for breaking down and taking the time to get to know their weaknesses.

"I've still got a few good tricks up my sleeve. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're going to put them to good use, baby brother."

Klaus and Kol gave one last look to Damon then their sister before disappearing once more. Now left alone with his lover, he looked down at the women in his arms and smiled softly. He grabbed the duvet and pulled it over the both of them. Stroking her cheek, he kissed her skin as gentle as he could, careful not to wake her up.

"Seems like your brothers do approve of me in a way, after all, barbie."


	3. Chapter Three

**1 Week Later – The Grill**

_"I know that you've been ignoring my calls, I don't like it. Anyway, I know you've heard what's been happening between Rebekah and Damon, we need to stop it. He's been acting unusual and I know that it's because of her. Please get back to me. Maybe we could meet up or something. I...I miss you, Stefan."_

Elena let out a long sigh as she ended the message she'd left on Stefan's voice mail. He'd been ignoring her since Esther had been dealt with. She had tried going over to the Boarding House, but found that the locks had been on, which was something that hadn't happened ever since she had first been invited in. He didn't return her calls or texts, and she hadn't seen him around school. Damon hadn't been around either, she hadn't seen the elder Salvatore since he had threatened her. It was as if Damon and Stefan were going out of their way to ignore her. Bonnie and Caroline hadn't been talking to her either, they were still in a mood with her. She still couldn't believe that they had backed up Damon, they hated him. Alaric hadn't said a word to her, she barely saw him.

It was as if they couldn't handle being around her, something she didn't understand. Mystic Falls had been quiet for the past week, which normally meant that something bad was going to happen, but Elena hadn't thought about it. She had been too focused on trying to figure out a way to get Damon away from Rebekah, and hoped that Stefan would help her out. If the younger Salvatore wanted the best for his brother, then he would do the right thing and help her.

"Sitting alone, darling?...isn't that just sad?"

Her dark eyes widened and she looked up to see a smirking Kol sitting across from her."W-What are you doing here?"

"Don't act so scared, sweet, we just want a word."

He gave her his best innocent expression and chuckled darkly when she stumbled over her words when he said the word 'we'. He saw this and grinned again, leaning back in the booth, enjoying the way fear flashed in her eyes.

"We? You and who?"

Elena looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Matt was serving at the bar, and there were several people scattered around. She stood up and went to rush out of the bar, but before she could take her first step, two strong arms fell on her shoulders in a strong grip. Her body stilled and she slowly raised her head, brown meeting blue as Klaus glared down at her.

"Why don't you take a seat, love? We don't want to make a scene, do we? I would hate to punish your brother for your mistakes."

Elena swallowed and nodded, knowing that he wouldn't hesitate do act on his words. He softly pushed her into the booth and took a seat next to his younger brother who looked like he was itching for Elena to make a move so that he could go on a rampage. Klaus leaned forward and stared her down. She could feel the anger coming off of him, his fists were clenched so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

"It's been brought to my attention that you've been bothering our sister."

"...i-i don't know what your talking about."

Klaus raised an eyebrow, hearing her heart beat quicken as she tried to lie to him. Being lied to only made him angrier. He had found out that Rebekah had been staked by Elena when Damon had carried her home the week before. Though his first thought was that Damon had been the cause of it, but the way he had been handling Rebekah made him second guess. When he had demanded that he be told who had staked his little sister, the elder Salvatore didn't even attempt to cover for Elena. He said her name with so much disgust, Klaus was convinced that he wanted to tear her head off. When news about what had happened reached Kol, Klaus had found his brother looking through the kitchen drawers for the sharpest knife. Kol was known for enjoying using weapons whenever he went after someone.

Though he was cocky, egotistical and sometimes cruel, Kol was just as protective of his sister. His personality was close to Klaus', but since he was closer in age to Rebekah, he wasn't as closed off to her. The Mikaelson siblings fought amongst themselves, and sometimes they were downright cruel to one another but that didn't mean it gave outsiders the right to go after one of them. Epically if that one was Rebekah, Klaus saw it as his job to pick on her, and if anyone else did that, he saw red until that person was killed. Damon had stayed at their Mansion since he had brought Rebekah home, and since he had defended Rebekah and didn't stop Klaus from going after Elena, the hybrid hadn't gone after him. Elijah had stopped him, he had told Klaus to give this one a chance, and if he gave any sign of hurting or disrespecting their family or Rebekah, he would join Klaus in killing him.

Klaus had reluctantly agreed.

"Now, we both know that's a fib, isn't it? It's one thing staking my sister, Elena, but to lie about it? That's just plain stupidity."

Elena looked at her hands."H-How did you find out?"

Kol answered her with a sneer,"One of those brothers you used to knock around with, love. Found him carrying my sister to her bedroom, and he told me that you drove a piece of wood into her."

The younger Original snarled angrily, happy when he saw Klaus' hands shaking. Though he hated being on the bad end of his brother's temper, it was enjoyable when someone else was a victim to it. The brothers hated when someone went after Rebekah, it had been that way from a young age. Whenever Rebekah did something that would anger Mikael, it was usually Klaus that took the blame for it. He was often mean to Rebekah, but there was no doubt that he walk on hot coals for his sister. Kol liked to deny it, and loved to pick on her, but he would do the same.

"She's doing something to Damon." Elena spoke up, some sort of confidence in her voice as she tried to cover her tracks.

"I think she's compelling him or something, he must have stopped taking his vervain. There is no other way that h-"

"That he would be with her? You think that my little sister had to compel Damon in order for him to be interested in her?" Klaus' eyes flashed.

He turned and looked at Kol once more. His smirk had dropped and his eyes were blank. Klaus tilted his head, the rage in his body was close to exploding. He couldn't believe that Elena had the nerve to say that in front of them. Nobody was good enough for his sister, that's why he had spent all those years trying his best to protect her. She wasn't just any woman, she was an Orignial, and nobody would ever be good enough for her. He was sure that Damon wasn't either, but the look she had in her eyes before he left that morning was different to all the other men she had looked at.

She had a certain light to her now.

"Darling, my sister may be naïve and incredibly annoying but she isn't desperate. If anything, it's Damon that is out of is league. This family may have it's problems, but you just have to take a look at us to see that we don't need compulsion for that."

Kol looked over his brother, another wicked smile on his face."...well, _I_ don't anyway." The smile fell once more as his gaze landed on Elena."Though saying that, his taste in women has improved greatly now that he's with my sister."

Elena winced and tears flooded her eyes but she kept them in. Klaus knew that Kol had intended to make her cry. Klaus would have settled for tearing her heart out, but his brother was more manipulative. He preferred to play with the mind before going in for the kill. He toyed with them, and he knew exactly what to do with Elena. Klaus felt a familiar presence in the room, and before he could check it out, Elijah was standing by the table. His hands were folded in front, and as always he was wearing a suit. He looked down at his younger brothers then Elena, who looked away from Elijah.

"What is the meaning of this? Niklaus, I thought that we have been over th-"

Klaus cut him off with a wave of his hand."You're precious Elena, who you've been so adamant in protecting, staked our sister because she has become involved with that Salvatore boy. Then, she had the gall to say that Rebekah compelled Damon to pay her some attention."

Elijah's warm, protective smile towards Elena became cold. He could tell by the tone in Klaus' voice that he was telling the truth. His eyes became dark, but he still stayed calm and collected, which only made him more scarier. He faced Elena, who felt like he was looking through her, his stare made her feel cold. Kol felt the change in the atmosphere and he kept quiet, as did Klaus. Elijah was not to be messed with when he was in this kind of mood, they had learned that lesson when they were human. Elijah didn't stand for Rebekah being picked on when they were children, neither did Klaus, and he got even more protective when his sister was threatened.

He would not allow Rebekah to be hurt.

Though he could see the truth in her eyes, he wanted to hear her say it."Is this true, Elena? Did you stake my sister?"

"I-It's not like it would kill her, Elijah. She was..."Elena tried to come up with something to get her out of it."...she turned Damon against me!"

"That's not the point. Not only did you lie to me about our mother planning to kill us, but you dare stake my sister? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let my brother's kill you here and now."

"You gave me your word that you wouldn't allow them to come after me or my family. You're a man of your word, aren't you?"

She was right, he had promised her that. Though Elijah liked to think of himself as a man of his word, it meant nothing if Elena saw that as a pass to go after the ones he loved. A ghost smile appeared on Elena's mouth as she thought that she had managed to get to the older Mikaelson.

Elijah took a step back and motioned at his brothers."My word means nothing if you disrespect my family, Elena. You lied to me and I don't take kindly to being lied to. Niklaus, Kol, make sure that Elena knows that she has disrespected myself and our sister."

Kol ran his tongue along his teeth, snarling once more at the girl."As you wish, brother."

Elena jumped up, clutching Elijah's arm desperately. She prayed that someone would stop what was happening, this was all wrong. She was supposed to be protected, she was special, she needed protection. She had already lost Damon, she couldn't lost anyone else, she didn't want to be alone. Elijah swallowed, his jaw clenching, it hurt that she had lied to him. He had been nothing but a friend to her and she had used him. Elijah didn't like to be used, he was not a toy, he was an Original and deserved respect.

"Elijah, you're not going to let them kill me, aren't you?! Elijah, _please_."

He shrugged her off and swept invisible dust off his suit."There are things worse than death, Elena. Nobody hurts my family and get's away with it."

Elijah nodded at his brothers, taking one last look at Elena's scared expression before he disappeared. Elena felt knots in her stomach as they eyed her as if she were prey.

"Let's take this some place more..._private_, darling. Were no-one can hear you scream."

* * *

><p><strong>"Do you think that they killed her?"<strong>

"If Niklaus had gone by himself, probably, but Kol is the torture type. He would have let him had his fun, he hasn't tortured anyone in a long while."

Damon grinned, propping his feet up on the coffee table in front of him as Rebekah poured them another drink. They'd been waiting over an hour to hear of Elena's punishment for going after the blonde. Damon had been shocked at how Klaus had reacted, he'd seen how mean he had been to Rebekah before. But when Klaus' eyes flashed amber after seeing the blood on his sisters shirt, Damon knew that deep down he did care what happened to his sister. It was like he had a rule that only he could hurt his sister and nobody else, kind of what Damon felt for Stefan. Another surprise had been how Kol had taken the news. He looked close to punching a hole in the wall, and that was when Damon knew that even though they fought and hated eachother at times, that they would stick together, no matter what.

It was twisted but sweet in a way. It depended how you looked at it.

"I'm surprised he hasn't killed you yet."

Damon took a sip of his drink, his fingers running over her legs that were settled in his lap."It's not my fault she's crazy."

"I'm not talking about her, but yes, she does have some problems other than how she dresses. But my brother has a hobby of killing every man I get close to."

She didn't mention Stefan, she knew better than to do that. Though Damon did know of their history, she didn't want to purposely upset him. Damon finished off his drink and leaned forward, pouring another one. He had lost count how many bottles they had gotten through.

"More than one? That's beyond creepy."

Rebekah nodded with a small smile, but it had a hint of sadness in it,"Several. Whenever I found some sort of happiness he would take it away. He said that it's because nobody was good enough for his little sister but I stopped believing that a long time ago."

He frowned, he knew that there would have to be some truth in that, she was an Original. She was smart, funny, beautiful and had stood by the ones she loved for one thousand years. But he also saw Klaus' side. He knew that the hybrid had issues of his own. He was scared of losing the only person who had been a constant in his life. He didn't want to lose Rebekah. Klaus was dark, Rebekah was light. She stopped Klaus from drowning in the darkness, and his own insecurities was stopping her from being happy. Damon and Rebekah failed to see the hybrid standing near the door that led into the front room. The music blasting through the speakers, stopped them from sensing Klaus, who was listening in.

"He's scared that you'll leave him, he doesn't want to be alone, so he covers that by trying to be the big, bad hybrid. Though I think your brother can be a dick, I can relate to him in a way. My father wasn't a saint either, he hated me and didn't think before shooting me. But your brother has deeper issues, your father did a number on him."

Rebekah raised her head."Everyone else has left him, his own father thought he was a beast and a bastard, and even those who try to get close to him, he pushes them away. Sometimes I want to leave, but leaving someone who has been there with you for a thousand years is like...it's like.."

"Losing a part of yourself?"

She nodded."My brother has been the only person who hasn't left me. But whenever I find a little happiness outside of his world, he rips it away. He's convinced that i'll leave him behind, that i'll leave him. Not just me, all of us. That's why he daggers us. Yes it hurt when he daggered me, but it hurt more thinking that after one thousand years of sticking by him that he would think that I would stop loving him. That i'll love someone more than I love him."

Tears threatened Klaus' eyes as Rebekah fought her own. Damon's fingers laced with hers as he listened. His father hated him too, no matter what he did, it wasn't good enough for his father. But even when Damon was convinced that he hated his father, he still wanted the approval of him. He still wanted the bond Stefan had with him. He could also relate to Klaus with this, though from what he had heard, and from what he had saw when Mikael tried to kill the hybrid, Klaus had gone through worse than him. His father had some power over Klaus, and no army would ever heal the scars Mikael had placed on him. He was still scared that his siblings, especially Rebekah would walk away from him, so he kept them in coffins or killed those they came close to.

"Would you? Would you choose love over your family? If you couldn't have both, which one would you choose?"

Rebekah answered without hesitation."I would want to have both but if it came down to it, I would choose my family. I have found what I thought was love many times over the years, and even though my brother has cruelly taken it away, I have somehow, even though it was painful, lived without it. I have hated my brother for what he has done to me, I have wanted to tear him apart. But he's always been there. Even after Elijah left, he's still been there. Niklaus is the one who knows me best. Even though it hurts, he has been right. If I had truly loved them, I wouldn't have gotten over their deaths so easily. He goes the wrong way about proving the point, but i've learned to live with it."

Klaus angrily wiped the tear that left him as Rebekah spoke softly. He had hurt her without thinking twice about it, but knew that she would forgive him, she always did. His sister had stood by him after everything. It had always been her, not Elijah, not Kol it had always been Rebekah that hadn't walked away. She had held him after Mikael had beaten him close to death, she had took care of his wounds, and once stood up to their father when he had almost killed him. She had told him that she would never leave him, and he had put that promise to the test many times. Damon wiped her tears away as she continued her statement, both still not noticing the hybrid standing at the door.

"I would never break my promise to my family. Family comes above all. Sometimes we lose sight of it, Nik can be selfish, Elijah goes off sometimes when the bickering becomes too much, Kol does whatever Kol does when he feels left out and I become blinded with finding love. We each have been destroyed by Mikael. But even though we want to kill eachother, deep down I believe that we would stand together. It's normally Elijah who picks up the pieces and puts us back together, he truly believes that Niklaus is still in there, and sometimes I do too."

Damon smiled sadly at her. She reminded him of himself, always wearing a mask and being second choice to those who they love. Him with Stefan, who no doubt had chosen Elena over him and Klaus with his thirst for power. He kissed her forehead in a rare moment of tenderness, his smirk no where in sight. He pulled her close and pecked the top of her blonde head, sighing as she sniffed. Though having close to eight hundred years on him, she was still just a girl who wanted to be loved by someone and those around her. She was damaged by her father and some by her brother. He knew Klaus loved her, in his own way, he had shown if by going after the doppelgänger who had the blood to re-make more hybrids.

"I love my brother more than life itself but there are times where I doubt he loves me anymore. It's sad, I know, but no matter how much he hurts me, i'm still going to be here."

He hushed her, lifting her chin with his fingers, and he placed a kiss on her plump lips. Rebekah hummed contently against him, feeling slightly better that she had gotten it out. The look on his face told her that he wasn't judging her, that he could understand. Klaus, after making sure that his tears were hidden, cleared his throat before entering the room. Rebekah had done the same when she heard footsteps hit wood. Her brother grinned at her, before trailing over to the speakers, turning the music off. Damon eyed him as the hybrid shook his head, kicking at empty bottles that lay on the floor.

"Hope i'm not interrupting anything...oh wait...this is _my_ house not a bloody frat party."

Damon didn't say anything, he just handed his glass to Klaus, half empty. The hybrid glared at him slightly, but flashed him a smirk before finishing it off. When Damon wasn't trying to kill him, he wasn't that bad to be around. The both liked to drink, and when she was in a good mood, liked to annoy Rebekah to get a reaction. To Klaus, it was like having another Kol around, only Damon knew when not to push him.

"What have I told you about drinking my alcohol, Bekah? This stuff is older than your _friend_ here."

Rolling her eyes, she looked around for any sign of the youngest brother."Nik, where's Kol?"

"He's trying out his old tricks on the doppelgänger at the warehouse. Couldn't have her staining the carpets, could i?"

"She isn't dead?" Damon asked.

"Why do you care so bloody much?"

Klaus' glare returned, if Damon thought that he was going to use _his _sister as some toy, he had another thi-

"I don't...i just don't want her crying to me when your brother chops off her fingers. I'm done playing baby sitter. If you want help, i'm your guy, but you're dealing with my brother if they're back together."

"I doubt Kol would let her go with just her fingers missing." Rebekah piped up.

"...now that the Elena business is dealt with. Let's move onto you, Salvatore."

Klaus smiled at his little sister, who hesitantly returned it, hoping that it was enough to make him back off. She looked back and forth between him and Damon, praying that her brother wouldn't kill him. She'd become close to him, though he could be annoying now and then, she enjoyed having him around. He calmed her down whenever she got into a panic about something, he comforted her when she was upset. He annoyed her about hogging the covers, and poked fun at the shoes she wore. Klaus noticed Rebekah's panicked look, and he motioned for Damon to stand up. Rebekah's eyes widened, as did Damon's when they saw amber flash in Klaus' eyes. The casual feeling in the room turned dark as the elder Salvatore stood up.

"Nik, don't kill him."

His sister jumped up, fear in her eyes as Klaus strolled over to Damon."Hey...i'm on your side. If I knew she was going to go after her, I would have killed Elena myself."

"Is that so? You snapped my brother's neck, you've tried to kill me and my family. You brought back my father and had a helping hand in daggering my sister."

"You've tried to kill me, I'd say we're even."

Klaus stopped in front of him, and a second later, he was in the air, the hybrid's fingers around his throat but Damon didn't back down."I love your sister, and I get it. I get that you don't want to lose her, and I get that your father was a dick, believe me, I would have killed mine without a second thought."

Rebekah stilled."You love me?"

Damon's eyes went wide again and he sighed."...you think I would spend over an hour helping you sort your freaking shoes in alphabetical order by designer if I didn't love you? I've got a reputation to uphold...and don't deny it Barbie, you love me too."

She smiled to herself and crossed her arms over her chest."Don't flatter yourself."

"You can't help yourself, i'm dashing. Admit it, you _loooveeee_ me."

_He loved her...not Elena. Damon loved her...she was his first choice._

Damon looked down at Klaus, with a smirk."That means yes."

He added."I understand, believe me, I do. You don't want her to be hurt if you have to run from your psycho father but the only person who is hurting her around here is you if you kill me. Trust me, if I can survive you trying to tear my head off, I think I can survive running around the world if he comes back from hell. I am not trying to take your sister from you, I don't think that's possible but hey, you don't want to be dealing with her obsession with clothes, and stealing your Bourbon forever, do you? I can lend a hand with that, and if I hurt her, which I _won't_, you can kill me. I won't fight you."

"Nik, please. Not again."

Klaus looked over at his sister, who was pleading with him with her eyes and for the first time, Klaus hesitated in killing one of her lovers. He glanced at Damon, who was fighting against him, telling him that his sister was the one for him. He wasn't willingly letting her go, he wasn't bargaining for his life, telling him that he would gladly step away from Rebekah if the hybrid let him live, he was fighting Klaus for his sister's love. Damon wasn't looking to take his sister away and make her forget about her brother, he was doing the opposite. Her conversation with Damon earlier rang in his mind, how she had said that she would choose her family over love if she couldn't have both, and he swallowed the lump in his throat.

As he gazed at her, she turned into the small, blonde girl who would chase him around when she was a child, and jump into his embrace whenever Mikael yelling came. She wanted him to be happy for her, and she wanted him to grant her that happiness. His fingers relaxed around Damon's throat, and soon he let the Salvatore go. Damon coughed and Rebekah helped him off of his knees, glancing at her brother with a thankful look.

"Thank you, Nik."She mouthed.

He nodded and met Damon's eyes."Hurt my sister and I will make you watch as I rip your brother apart. Then, i'll bite you just to watch you suffer."

He flashed out of the room to join Kol once more at the warehouse. Rebekah quickly poured Damon a drink and handed it to him with a smile. He returned it before claiming her lips in a fierce kiss, and she felt the knots leave her stomach as she realized that he had gotten Klaus' approval. For the first time, Klaus approved of who she was with, he was letting her be happy.

"I think he's warming to you."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes.**


	4. Chapter Four

****A/N********Thank you for all the reviews. Please keep them coming, it makes my day and I like to know that someone is still reading. I'm warning you, if you hate Elena bashing or her getting hurt, please don't read. I don't like getting hate for those who are easily annoyed from what I write about Elena, it's not helpful at all.****

****If you're an Elena fan, don't read this. If you aren't, carry on. :)****

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Next Morning<strong>**

"**Now, darling, what shall I cut off first?"**

Elena shook fearfully as Kol walked around her, struggling against the ropes that she had been bound to the chair with. She fought against them, letting out a loud frustrated yell when they showed no sign of letting go of her. The Original chuckled again, toying with the knife he had in his fingers. She'd been screaming non stop ever since he and Klaus had knocked her out and took her to the warehouse his brother had used a few times. He had been told she had a thing for escaping, and if she did, which he doubted, she had to have no idea where she was.

They'd left her there over night, which had added to her fear of him. Kol wanted to make her as terrified as she could, he wanted her jumping at any sudden noise. He secretly hoped that she did get free, in his opinion, the chase was the best part.

"Come on, if you don't play, it just takes out all of the fun."

He stopped when he saw blood on her shirt, over the now closed wound that he had given her the night before. When they had gotten her in the warehouse, he couldn't resist stabbing her like she had did his sister. Klaus had told him off for it, but ended up letting it go when Elena almost passed out from the pain. He had a sadistic streak in him too. They had given her enough of their blood so that she would heal after a few moments of her thrashing around in pain.

"I didn't get a thank you for healing you, love. This generation has such poor manners, you know."

She looked up at him, brown eyes filled with hate,"Let me go! If you kill m-"

"What'll happen? You're friends are sick of you, those brothers you've had wrapped around your finger have seen you for what you truly are. Your brother is off somewhere, perfectly happy without you. That teacher will be happy to be rid of you, i'm sure."

"That's not true."

Kol knelt in front of her, tilting his head, and without a warning, the knife came down. It went through her hand, and impaled it to the wooden chair. Elena's head fell back, her eyes filling with tears, screaming loudly and helplessly. He smiled to himself before slowly taking the knife out of her, running his tongue along the blade as she sobbed quietly. Apart from him and his brothers, not a soul on the earth got away with hurting his sister, not while he was still around.

"It's true, love. You're family...well what's left of it, is all gone, sweets. No-one cares about you anymore, and frankly, they are all better off for it."

Elena's lower lip wobbled and soon more tears streamed down her cheeks. He was getting to her, he knew it. It was the truth, everyone died around her because she couldn't rest unless everyone was running around protecting her. She always had to be saving someone, and it never planned out, they either ended up dead or hurt. She made suicidal plans that only made the situation worse, and Kol knew that it was her fault that their mother tried to kill them. Her blood was the key, and she was happy enough to give it up.

"You're lying. Damon cares about me, I know it, he's just upset with me."

His fingers swiped some blood from her wound, and he popped his fingers in his mouth. Elena winced, losing feeling her hand because of how tight the ropes were. She felt sick and dizzy, forcing herself not to look at the wound. But she tried to stay strong, he wanted her scared, she knew that.

"Are you still telling yourself that? I'm not the sentimental type, but when I left the house this morning, I swear that I heard sweet nothings coming from our favourite Salvatore, and i'm sure it was to my sister. Klaus let it slip that Damon has confessed his love for our sister, and he told me it was quite a moment."

"He loved me fist!"

"...whatever gets you through the night, darling. He didn't really love you, if he did, heart and soul, he would be trying to save you. I guess you were just something to keep him entertained before the real thing came along. He seems really content with my sister, he's even gone up against myself Klaus, and Elijah."

Elena slumped against the chair, her eyes blank and Kol grinned. He had broken her, just like he had wanted. He wanted her to regret working with their mother, he wanted her to plead for mercy for what she had done to his sister. This girl has caused his family more problems than he could imagine, she was worth nothing anymore.

Klaus had given up using her blood for hybrids when he had found out what his mother had been planning and after he had gotten rid of Mikael. Now, the hybrid wanted nothing more than to see her suffer. In a sick way, Elena had brought their family closer than ever but her life still meant nothing.

"Now...back to our little game."

"Please, if you're going to kill me, just get it over with."

Kol brought the knife down once more, neatly slicing off one of her fingers. She let out high-pitched screech. Her face went pale and her eyes watered over, coughing when the familiar feeling of wanting to be sick came back. She fell forward, her hair sticking to her cheeks with sweat, and Elena felt like she was going to pass out at any moment. Kol reached out and grabbed a hold of her long strands, tugging her head back.

"Sweetheart, if I kill you, the game will be over. I don't want that...i'm going to draw this out until i'm satisfied."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Mikaelson Mansion<strong>**

**"C'mon, sexy Bex, you know you want to."**

Rebekah let out a pleasurable moan when Damon pinned her against the wall behind them, his fingers locked around her throat, not tight enough to hurt her but enough to make her stomach flutter. Even though she denied it with a flip of her blonde hair and a cheeky smirk, Rebekah liked being dominated for once. For years she'd been feared, her lovers always let her take the upper hand, but Damon wasn't hesitant to let her know that he liked being in control. His lips hovered inches over hers, keeping her against the wall.

"I have no clue what you're talking about, Damon. If you don't mind, you're creasing my shirt."

"I'm sorry...though, it'll only end up getting ripped." Damon smirked.

He added,"I'll be more than happy to buy a wardrobe of them if you'll admit it."

Rebekah grinned. Ever since he had told her that he loved her, she'd been refusing to say it out loud. It drove him crazy, he knew she felt the same, he could tell by the way she played with him. They showed their love by toying with one another, she did it by not saying it out loud, Damon did it by insulting her shoes and hogging the covers. But underneath it all, both had been scared to admit it, Rebekah more than Damon because she had been hurt too many times to count. They both had been hurt by those they loved, and were scared to love again but Damon had taken the leap.

His attraction to her was something he couldn't describe.

"Say it...say it and i'll do that tongue thing that makes you scream things that would _devastate_ the noble Elijah."

He purred into her ear, tongue flickering against the spot behind her lobe that made her knees wobble. His lips ran along her throat, nipping the underside of her jaw, free hand cupping her cheek. Rebekah inhaled sharply when his lips trailed up her other cheek then moved downwards, not inches from her lips. He pulled back, their lips just a breath away, and he slowly opened his eyes, which were now cloudy. They flickered between her lips and her eyes, tracing his tongue over his bottom one, catching Rebekah's attention.

"Say it."His voice held a soft edge to it.

Rebekah felt something flutter in her stomach when she saw the vulnerability in his blue orbs. All playfulness left the two, both scared to say it again. Damon was more willing than him, compared to Rebekah, the heartbreak he had suffered was nothing. They both wore scars, both had been through so much pain that they were close to giving up on love.

The three words were on the end of her tongue, she was screaming them in her mind, but was having trouble actually saying them out loud. She wanted to...damn, she wanted to but it terrified her to no end that she would some day regret it. Both wore their hearts on their sleeves, but it had been broken so many times that they had lost count.

He had taken a leap, he had reached out, risked his heart once more...could she?

Damon, as if he had read her mind, leaned forward. He closed the gap between them and pressed her lips against hers. His hands fell and they wound themselves around her waist, pulling her body close to his. Rebekah sighed against his mouth, eagerly parting her lips as an invitation for his tongue to snake it's way into her mouth. It slithered in, finding it's partner, and what started off as a tender embrace soon turned into a desperate, passionate fight for control. Fingers dancing along her back, they escaped into her long blonde locks, not giving her a chance to pull away. She found acceptance in him, he didn't want to change her or use her for his own advantage, he accepted her the way she was.

Others had mocked the fact that she loved too easily, and when she fell, Rebekah fell hard. Even after being hurt and tossed aside, there was something inside her that told her not to give up. But after years of searching, she had become closed off, like Klaus. A lot of people had used her and her love to get to her brothers. They never wanted her, they never noticed her, but Damon did, and she knew that he wanted the same things. He wanted unconditional love, he wanted to be the one, he wanted someone to love him for who he was, not for who he could be. He wasn't Stefan, not even close, and that made Rebekah fall for him harder, it made her love him more. They both broke the kiss at the same time, Rebekah sweeping dark locks of his hair from his forehead. Maybe she could take the risk, maybe she could put her faith in love once more, like he had. Damon grabbed one of her hands and raised it, pressing a chaste kiss to the back of her hands.

"I _love_ you, Rebekah. I know it's hard, you think it was easy for me after being used as some pet for the last three years? I took the risk and I don't regret it, not for a second. I'm asking you to trust me, put yourself out there, and i'll make it worth your while."

He offered her a smile. It had been difficult to make himself vulnerable ever since Elena. She had ruined him to the point that Damon hadn't recognized himself. The doppelgänger had tried so hard to turn him into Stefan, had made him deny his own nature to the point that Damon had almost lost his identity. It was as if she had wanted a back up plan, someone to turn to if she and his brother didn't work out.

She wanted everyone around her to protect her, and even when her intentions were good, more people died or got hurt than planned and she had the nerve to blame someone else apart from herself. She didn't have to tell him he knew what he was, and he didn't try to lie about it, he didn't attempt to make any excuse for his behavior. He was a vampire and Damon refused to feel any shame for it.

Elena was manipulative, hypocritical and the most self centred person he had ever met. Damon was shocked that he actually believed he had been in love with her. Back then, he had thought so low of himself that he had been thankful whenever she had given him the time of day, not realizing that in reality, he was a better person than she was. Everything that happened to her after what she had done to him, Elena deserved. Rebekah didn't play around with him, she didn't try to ruin him, she was the complete opposite to Elena.

"I...I..."

The words were still on the top of her tongue, but they wouldn't come out. Her heart ordered her to say them, but her mind told her to keep closed off. That one day Elena will tell him that she loved him and that Damon would leave her. Her heart told her to take the leap, she wanted him, she did love him, but it was as if the words wouldn't leave her.

"All you have to do is say it. Say it and i'm _yours_." Damon tilted his head, giving her an encouraging smile.

He knew how it felt to put yourself out there, bearing your heart and soul only to be crushed. He'd been through it so many times that he lost count. Rebekah's eyes glassed over and a tear left her, no matter how hard she had tried to fight them.

"I've been around one thousand years,Damon, a lot longer than you and ever single time i've put my guard down I end up getting hurt. It's happened so many times that i've just learned to accept it. I've learned to accept that maybe i'm just not worth loving. Maybe that's my curse."

"Hey...hey! You think I don't get that? Each time we love it gets thrown back at us. That's why we work, we both know pain, but we still hold out hope. We hope that there is someone else out there that is worth our love, it's not the other way around, i've learned that now. Everyone who has broken you isn't worth your love, and those who have hurt me, don't come close."

"That's not your curse, it's not mine. We love too much, we love so much that it pains us, but that's what we need. That's why we're the same, we both need it. I _**love**_ you, Rebekah." He repeated, emphasizing the word 'love', making her notice that whenever he told her those three words, he used her full name.

"I love your smile, your eyes. I love your hair, how it feels running through my fingers, like silk."

His fingers moved across her cheek,"Your skin, your soft skin. I love your lips, the way you say my name even when you're pissed off at me."

Damon chuckled, his thumb tracing the shape of her lips,"I adore each and every part of you, even when you're dragging me around the mall, especially when you pull me into the changing room for a private modelling session."

He did the 'eye thing' when he said the last few words, making her smile through her tears. He swept them away with another brush of her fingers before placing a kiss on each of her cheeks. His forehead lolled against hers, pressing a lazy peck on her nose just as Rebekah's hands came up and cupped his face. Their eyes shut at the same time, just content with being close to one another. Damon growled low in his throat when she murmured his name, saying it with so much...want.

"Take a chance on me, give _us_ a chance. We can be so great."

He moved down, ready to capture her lips but before he could, she placed her index finger on his lips, hushing him.

"I...I love you, Damon."

His eyes widened as she whispered out the three words, a long sigh following them, as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Rebekah's rolled her eyes once more when he pumped his fist into the air, letting out a loud 'yes!' as if he had won some sort of prize. She pushed him away, her smile widening, only to have him tug on her wrists, her body smashing into his own. Damon couldn't stop beaming at her, she had taken the risk, she had put her walls down because she wanted him.

Although they tortured one another to get a reaction, and she played hard to get while he drove her crazy, Damon hadn't felt anything so simple. There were no mind games, like there had been with Elena. He knew where he stood, he knew that if he told her he loved her, that she would say it back without wanting something or someone else. Rebekah gazed up at him, wondering what was going through his mind, and before she could open her mouth and ask him, he smirked at her. She knew that there was something playful coming, it was his way of hiding the emotions he felt, but she could see how much those words meant to him.

"C'mon, say is with feeling. I gave you some sort of awesome movie speech and everything. I want to be swept off my feet." Damon joked with a cheeky grin.

"Once more, Bex."

Rebekah made a dramatic show of pretending to be annoyed with him, but when she spoke, Damon could hear the devotion and relief of admitting it.

"I love you."

She held his face in her hands, staring into his eyes.

"**Only** you."

He enjoyed hearing those words being said to him, it made Damon smile, not a smirk but a genuine smile that made her weak at the knees. His hands came up and clutched at her arms, wounding them around his neck before his own locked around her waist. She claimed his lips in another passionate embrace, kissing him long and hard. Their kiss seemed more meaningful, as if it sealed their feelings for one another. Rebekah smiled against his lips, her long fingers combing through his dark strands.

"I _**_love_**_ you, Damon, even if you are an egotistical pain in the arse."

Damon raised his hand, pointing at her before he attempted to mimic Rebekah's voice.

"...i'm an __irresistible__ egotistical pain in the arse.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes.**


	5. Chapter Five

**1 Week Later**

"**NIK!...NIK!"**

Damon jumped slightly when the front door to the mansion closed, and he looked over at the two blonde Originals. Rebekah was painting her nails and reading a magazine while Klaus was focused on his sketchbook. Neither had moved, it was as if they were used to it by now. He'd been spending most of his time at the Mikaelson home, and they had gotten somewhat used to him, the same with himself with them. They argued, especially Klaus and Damon, but that was usual, other than that, he found himself enjoying their company when they weren't trying to kill him, not that he'd ever tell them that. He turned and watched as Kol, who had rare frown on his face, stormed his way into the room his siblings were in, and stopped in front of his brother.

Damon shrugged, returning back to his task of nipping at Rebekah's neck. Her hybrid brother had been slightly glaring at them, tempted to rip Damon's fangs out for touching his baby sister, but stopped whenever he heard the Salvatore whispering _'I love you'_ every few minutes. He knew that it was to reassure his sister that he wasn't going anywhere, and Klaus found himself smiling whenever Rebekah laughed. He ignored the other stuff he whispered to the blonde, things that even he himself wouldn't say. He was still nowhere near getting used to his sister being with someone considering Klaus had been number one in her life, but he knew that she was deeply in love with him, more than she had been with any other man she'd been with.

The two argued non stop, the Salvatore brother drove her mad whenever he nicknamed her, and she made him crazy by dragging him to countless of school dances but that was just who Damon and Rebekah were. They showed their love through that, but there were rare moments of tenderness that made Klaus' protective instinct lay low. Besides, he was beginning to get used to Damon's presence in their home, he wasn't the worst company in the world when he knew when to keep his mouth shut.

Kol waited for a second, expecting his brothers attention, as if he was used to getting that from everyone else. Rebekah saw Klaus' grin tugging at his lips, but kept silent, enjoying her brother's need to be noticed.

"_NIK!_"

Klaus didn't look up from his sketchbook, but he did reply."Kol, i'm within earshot, I can hear you. If you were on the other side of the bloody town, i'm sure we'd still here you. What's gotten you in such a mood?"

"That Bennet witch stole Elena. I was just getting started and when I went to play with her this morning at the warehouse, she was gone. Only a witch could have found her."

Rebekah's head snapped up at the same time Damon's did. They glanced at one another before they turned their attention to her brothers."What?"

Kol faced his sister, a pout on his face, as if he had just lost his favourite toy."I _cannot_ work like this! If you want your revenge, you better kill that witch and get Elena back."

Damon smirked, though he would rather chop off his own legs than say it, he did find Kol's company amusing. He spoke of torturing Elena as if it were something on his shopping list. He had heard his name over the years, he was known for his sadistic enjoyment, and Damon was sure that they crossed paths a few times if they had coincidentally been in the same city. Damon had learned from being around the Mikaelson's that Kol was the brother Klaus would send to his enemies if they had done him wrong. If Klaus wanted to send a message, Kol was the one who would gladly deliver it. But there was another side. He could see that Kol wanted to be noticed by his family, he wanted to be apart of it, but like Damon, he'd never admit it.

Rebekah and Kol were close, they were more like partners in crime. If his sister needed anything, Kol would be there. He would complain all the way, and mock the blonde, but he would be there. Klaus and Kol argued more than they got along, they bickered like children because they were so alike but Damon had seen rare moments of what could be described as sibling bonding. They enjoyed to drink together, and when they were at the Grill, they made bets on who could win at pool. It reminded Damon of himself and his own brother.

Damon also knew that getting revenge on Elena was Kol's own sick way of showing how much he cared for his sister. Enjoying it was just a bonus for the youngest Mikaelson brother.

Rebekah sat up, waving her hands slightly to dry her nails as she responded to Kol."Did you at least hurt her enough that it paid for my top she ruined?"

"I am a professional, darling sister, do not question my methods."

When his sister narrowed her eyes, hiding the fact that she was upset that Elena hadn't paid for disrespecting her, Kol snapped his fingers."Give me some credit, 'Bekah. She's got a beautiful scar in the same place you got staked."

Damon saw Rebekah's eyes light up at her brothers words, but kept her gaze on her newly painted nails. This was how the Mikaelson family worked. They never said those three words, they showed it through their actions. Though sometimes they went the wrong way about it, like daggering, but there was clearly love between them all, even though it was deep rooted.

"How do you suggest we get the doppelgänger back, little brother? They are going to have her guarded and that witch is quite hateful of us all. Can't imagine why." Klaus finished with a devious smirk, as if he were replaying everything he'd ever done to Bonnie in his mind.

Kol sighed and sat down across from his brother, stealing his drink from his hand as he propped his feet up on the coffee table. He liked playing the game, but it was completely different when another player joined in without his permission. Though, if Bonnie hadn't taken Elena and was still willingly to play, he wouldn't have minded, but this changed everything. As he continued to sulk, the rest sat in silence, trying to think of something. If Damon knew Bonnie and the rest of Elena's friends, they would be getting ready for war. Taking Elena and hurting her was as if the Mikaelson family was taking the most precious thing in the world. He shook his head, slightly ashamed that he used to think like that. He sighed, burying his face in Rebekah's neck, just as she let out a gasp, sitting up straight, almost knocking him over.

Klaus raised an eyebrow when he saw Rebekah's smile. She was finally getting revenge on Elena for daggering her, humiliating her and staking her, so there was no way she was passing this up."Something you'd like to share with the group, little sister?"

"I say, when she's sleeping, we burn the witch's house down. Then, we go over to the Gilbert house, where Damon has an invitation and he gets Elena. If anyone else happens to get in the way, we kill them too. There...doppelgänger and her little annoying friends are gone."

She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the couch, and Damon's eyes widened, staring at her. Her blue eyes met his, question filling them as to why he was looking at her in such a manner. He cupped her cheek before kissing her, earning an eye roll from Kol, who was looking happier because of Rebekah's suggestion.

"I'm sure it's been said before, but you lot are creepy."

The siblings replied at the same time."Thank you."

Kol grinned at his sister, perking up in interest, rubbing his hands together as if he were some evil genius."I knew there was a reason I missed you, 'Bekah. Now. When do we atta-"

"There will be no attacks on Elena's friends, Kol. I have given you my permission to punish Elena for her attack on our sister and _only_ Elena. If I hear of any attacks on them without being provoked, you will **all** regret it."

All four looked to the entry of the front room and saw Elijah leaning against the door frame. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was looking at them all as if they were misbehaving children that he had the misfortune of looking after. Rebekah and Kol each mumbled under their breath, and Klaus just rolled his eyes, now bored with the situation if they weren't going to act on their ideas.

"Buzzkill." Damon murmured.

"Brother, Bonnie Bennett stole Elena while I was punishing her. Shouldn't the witch be involved in my punishment of Elena Gilbert, too?"

Elijah, who hadn't heard the beginning of his siblings' conversation just stood for a moment. He couldn't help but notice his sister and Damon, who were now looking at one another as if they were the only people in the room. He was positive that he hadn't seen his sister smile like that in a long time. He then glanced at his hybrid brother, who, even though it was hard for him, was letting his sister be happy. Then his thoughts turned to how upset and betrayed Rebekah had felt when she had thought that her brothers didn't care enough to avenge her attack with Elena, who had not only staked her but had hurt her in the past.

He knew that Kol, in his own way, was defending her honour. He had wanted to protect the doppelgänger before, but if he was willing to let her mistakes in attacking his family slide, then it put a message out to the supernatural community as a weakness on his part.

That was not an option.

"Is this true, Niklaus?"

His hybrid brother nodded."She must have done a location spell of some sort. Her friends must have taken her during the night."

They all waited in silence as Elijah made up his mind.

Kol, never the patient Mikaelson, was fidgeting like a small child."Brother? What do you think?"

"Haven't I told you that you can attack when _provoked_, Kol? Now, I am going out for a while and if something _should_ happen while i'm gone then it is out of my hands."

Elijah smiled softly at his sister before leaving the mansion, and a few moments later, the sound of a car being pulled onto the road was heard. Kol smiled widely and clapped his hands together before he stood up straight, finishing off the drink he had stolen from Klaus.

"It is nice to be on the opposite side for once without worrying if I was going to be set on fire in my sleep."

Kol looked down at him, winking."Who said it's not still an option? I've still got to repay you for breaking my neck at the ball."

"You sure you want to say that when your hair products are on _public_ display in your bathroom, pretty boy? Ask Stefan what happens when i'm threatened during my beauty sleep."

Rebekah and Klaus looked at one another, anticipation in their eyes as they waited for a fight. Like Klaus, Damon and Kol had a lot in common with their personalities. Both enjoyed a fight, both were sarcastic but most of all, the both of them refused to back down from their opponent. Kol was never insulted by those outside his family, he rarely got made a fool of, just like Klaus. He had slaughtered thousands just because he had been bored. He tilted his head, eyeing the younger vampire. Young vampires ran at the mention of Kol Mikaelson's name, but this one was standing up to him, _inviting_ him for a fight. The two just stared at one another, as if they were daring the other to back down. Kol took a step closer to Damon, who was sitting, Rebekah's legs in his lap.

They waited to see if there was going to be a fight, but what happened next surprised them all, especially Damon.

Kol _laughed_.

He reached down and picked up the bourbon, handing Damon a glass before pouring them both drinks."I don't like you, but I don't _hate_ you, Salvatore. You're the first one of Rebekah's boyfriends i've said that about."

"Can't blame you...the others were just runners up." Damon replied, and Rebekah rolled her eyes while Klaus laughed, amused.

"Finally someone who knows the definition of the word fun. You have no idea how long that has been missing from my life, mate." Kol added, and clinked their glasses before the two downed it in one go.

"Can't say i've got anything different to say about my baby bro. Your hair crap is safe."

"So are you from being set alight. For now."

Damon chuckled, doing the 'eye thing' that Rebekah had become somewhat fond of."Right back at you."

The two smirked at one another before Kol slumped back onto the seat he had previously been sitting in. For the next few moments, the four began to talk about how they were going to get revenge on the town that had wronged them. They had rejected Rebekah's idea, saying that it was 'too quick', which meant that they wouldn't get much enjoyment out of it. She had pouted but gave in when Damon said the three words which, more recently, made her beam from ear to ear. She hadn't had much experience with love, it had mostly been once sided but now whenever she heard it, Rebekah seemed to lighten up. Eventually she got bored and let the men talk it out, too focused on a dress she liked the look of.

"How about one by one? It's not as fast, and we can enjoy the chase."

"Nope, it'll give them more time to prepare. We need something that they won't know that something is being planned." Damon rejected Kol's suggestion, and the youngest Mikaelson brother huffed.

At that, Rebekah perked up.

"Dance!"

Klaus narrowed his eyes and they turned to her, confused. Damon just raised an eyebrow,"...because dancing will help us how?"

"No. The _twenties_ themed dance on Friday. I put it together all by myself. We're already going and everyone will be there."

"When were you going to tell me?" Damon asked, accepting the flyer she passed him.

"I'm telling you now. I'm sure Elijah or Nik still has some twenties clothing. Thankfully, Nik daggered me in a dress from that decade that will become useful after being dry cleaned."

Kol snatched the flyer, interested."I don't have any clothing from the twenties because I was-"

"daggered during that decade and many more after that until a month ago." Damon finished with a grin.

"Obsessed with me, are you, darling?"

Damon poured them another drink as Klaus read the flyer."You wish, I hear the same thing from your sister."

Rebekah hit him with her magazine and went to kick him, but since her legs were in his lap, he kept them still. His fingers danced along her skin, almost making her giggle when his touch tickled her. Though she still had a lot of insecurity and was trying to hold back from falling deeper from him, Rebekah found it hard to stop herself. She was still waiting for Elena and her friends to walk through the door and tell her that it had all just been a plot to hurt her. But, as if he knew that or was expecting the same thing, Damon made sure not to leave the bed until she woke up and tried to show her that he did love her. She didn't ask for it, but Damon knew she appreciated it. He still battled his own insecurities and trust issues, she knew that. Neither was one for speeches or showing their love, but they did do it in small ways.

She was happy.

"So I take it we're going to a high school dance thrown by someone who did experience the decade." Klaus said.

"Only a few years, Nik. You daggered me for the remaining part of it."

Kol pouted, making his presence known once again."Don't forget me, darling sister."

"Oh how I wish I could, Kol."

Klaus grinned at his sister before responding."You two aren't going to let that go, are you?"

The two shook their heads and replied in unison."Nope."

Damon shrugged at how normal they spoke about such things, and took a long sip from his drink. He had enjoyed the twenties and fifties because of the clothing. He liked the eighties because of the music, something he made a mental note of to show Rebekah. She had missed out on a lot of good things over the decades and wondered how she managed to learn everything so fast whenever she woke up from being locked in a box for a while. She still went to Mystic High and it took him a long time to figure out why.

It was because she _wanted_ to experience some normality, and even though he didn't understand it, he let it slide. She enjoyed being apart of the crowd, she liked trying something she hadn't done before. Though she didn't want to give up her vampire life because she liked being powerful and being with her family, he knew that she did want to be human, just for a small part to remember how it felt.

"So the dance is the new plan? You sure that they will be there, Salvatore?" Kol asked.

"Yep. Anything that'll get them killed, they'll be there for. It's kind of a downside to being on their team."

Klaus released a sigh when all the plans were sorted."All-right then. I better bring out those suits then."

The hybrid made his way out of the room to complete his task and Kol followed him, a cheeky smile on his face. He had a skip in his step, a rare sight. Rebekah released a breath of relief, though did love her brothers dearly and would die for them, they were a lot to handle on a a daily basis. She broke out of her thoughts when a pair of fingers locked around her wrist.

"...what are-_oh_."

Rebekah, in less than a second, found herself straddling Damon's lap, her magazine falling to the floor. His hands settled on her waist, tugging her closer to his body. He smiled up at her innocently but the Original could see lust dancing in his baby blue orbs. She made a show of rolling her eyes and scolding him for being rude but they both knew that she enjoyed his attention. Rebekah was, like Damon, jealous. She was also possessive and didn't like being ignored, again, just like Damon. They were a perfect match, but at the same time, a wild fire. His free hand crawled up her back before his fingers tangled in her silky hair, tangling the strands around his fingers. Rebekah let him lead her down, a smile on his lips. They brushed at first, each vampire challenging the other to make a move. Rebekah giggled, fingers tracing his jawline. Her forehead fell against his and a second later, her pink tongue poked out, flickering across Damon's bottom lip, making him sigh against her.

"You're mean."

"...you like mean." Rebekah replied innocently.

Instead of returning with a sneaky comment, his lips caught hers in a fierce but still tender kiss. She pressed herself closer to him after allowing the Salvatore entrance to her mouth, her hands cupping his face, keeping his lips locked to her own. Damon swept her hair to one side, the hand returning to it's other, but soon travelled to her thigh. As she moved against him, her dress rode up, giving him more access to her soft skin. He hummed against her, kissing her a few more seconds before tearing his lips from hers. Rebekah made a sound of protest, but before she could word it, she felt his mouth trail across her cheek. Her head tipped back, swollen and bruised lips parting as his own moved towards her neck, whispering into her ear on the way. He marked her, teeth nipping harshly but instead of wincing, Rebekah just responded with a breathy moan.

Just as he started to open his mouth to tell her that they should move upstairs, a thought entered his mind.

"Hey, barbie?"

Rebekah felt Damon's fingers grasp her cheek, reluctantly pulling away from her neck. She huffed, irritated that he had stopped."What is it?"

"Wanna be my date to the dance?"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for any grammarspelling mistakes. Please review!**


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